Bridge of Reason

  The Watch Tower Society has tried to remove all references to Christ’s deity in their New World Translation of the Bible. They relegate Jesus to a place that is inferior, insisting he shouldn’t be worshipped because, they insist, he is not God. Who Were the Jews Looking For? The Jews were looking for a Messiah who is described in the Jewish Scripture as Mighty God, Isaiah 9:6. The Jehovah’s Witnesses argue that here Jesus is called ‘Mighty’ but only Jehovah is called ‘Almighty,’ concluding Jehovah alone is God. However, many Bible texts call Jehovah simply ‘Mighty.’ All the following call Jehovah Mighty: Deuteronomy 10:17; Nehemiah 9:32; Psalm 50:1; Isaiah 10:21; Jeremiah 32:18. Jeremiah 23: 5,6 sees Jesus given the name Jehovah-tsidkenu , meaning, ‘The God of my righteousness.’ The Lord the Jews were seeking was none other than God himself, Jehovah our righteousness. At his birth Jesus was proclaimed, ‘Christ the Lord’ Luke 2:11 and named I mmanuel , meaning, ‘God with us...

  Last week I asked, ‘Is Worshipping Jesus Wrong?’ We discovered the Watch Tower Society is inconsistent in its understanding of ‘worship’ as well as in its historical teaching and practice. In asking ‘Is Jesus God?’ we are looking at the magnificent description of Jesus in Paul’s letter to Colossae, a magnificence that is totally missed by Unitarian believers like Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Heresy Paul’s purpose in writing is to refute a heresy that has arisen among Colossian believers. The saints at Colossae appear to have come under the influence of a hybrid, Jewish/Pagan, philosophical system marked by: Ceremonialism : concerning food, drink, certain religious festivals and circumcision (2:16-17,23) Asceticism : ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’ (2:21) Angel worship (2:18) Secret knowledge (2:18) Human wisdom and tradition (2:4,8) The deprecation of Christ (2:8) Paul writes: ‘ See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according...

  Continuing our look at the Trinity, we find in the Reasoning book p. 210 the Watch Tower continues to address the question: 'Does the Bible teach that none of those who are said to be included in the Trinity is greater or less than another, that all are equal, that all are almighty?' They comment on the gospel text in Matt. 20:20-23, RS: “ The mother of the sons of Zebedee . . . said to him [Jesus], ‘Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ But Jesus answered, . . . ‘You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’” They go on: ‘ (How strange, if, as claimed, Jesus is God! Was Jesus here merely answering according to his “human nature”? If, as Trinitarians say, Jesus was truly “God-man”—both God and man, not one or the other—would it truly be consistent to resort to such an explanation? Does not Matthew 20:...

  In last week’s Watchtower Wednesday on our Facebook page we asked, How can Jesus be 'with God' at the same time as being God? On their website the Watch Tower Society addresses this question: 'The statement “the Word was with God” indicates that two separate persons are discussed in the verse. It is not possible for the Word to be “with God” and at the same time be God Almighty. The context also confirms that the Word is not Almighty God. John 1:18 states that “no man has seen God at any time.” However, people did see the Word, Jesus, for John 1:14 states that “the Word became flesh and resided among us, and we had a view of his glory.” There is so much wrong with the Watch Tower article it is difficult to know where to start. They present several ‘facts’ that are really doctrinal assertions. They say: ‘ In the original-language text, the two occurrences of “God” (Greek, the·osʹ ) at John 1:1 are grammatically different. In the first occurrence, the word “God” is ...

  1. Where Are You? When we think about communion with God we too often think of some religious practices. We go to church to commune with God, we see the sacraments of baptism and communion, the formal act of worship, as giving us access to God. Even in our private devotions we adopt a certain posture and attitude towards God, we tend to get religious. Hands together softly so, Little eyes shut tight. Father just before we go Hear our prayers tonight. We are all your children here, This is what we pray, Keep us when the dark is near and through every day. Even as we believe we may ‘boldly approach the throne of grace’ (Heb.4:16) yet we are, like our first parents, aware of our sinfulness (Gen.3:10). As did Adam, we hide from God, even as we hear his voice seeking us out, ‘Where are you?’ (Gen.3:9) Before the Fall we see a very different picture. Here we witness how it was in the beginning, with God expecting to enjoy open communion with Adam, the communion of the garden. ...

Someone asked if a murde r repents and turns to Jesus in the last days of their life is that person saved? It is a familiar enough question, popular with the cults . People usually find the answer scandalous; n obody is beyond the reach of his grace except the one who will not receive it. What does that mean? I t means, 'Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life.' ( John 5:24, ESV, [ words of Jesus ] ) 'Whoever' means anyone may come, no on e is turned away who comes in repentance , no truly repentant sinner is beyond the reach of his grace. Peter writes, ‘ For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit...’ (1 Pet.3:18) The scandal is the cross, the righteous dying for the unrighteous, but there it is. 'Has eternal life' means those who...